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FG to revamp feed, fodder sector to address livestock feed shortages
The Federal Government and Africa Union (AU) Member States, have taken actions to address Livestock Feed Shortages and avert future feed related disaster.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, stated this at the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) project meeting in Abuja.
Abdullahi, who reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to support the outcome of the meeting, said the meeting also aimed to tackle the persistent farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria.
“I assure you of my total support and I look forward to the outcome of the important mission.
“I want to guarantee you that going forward, we are going to step up our action and ensure that this platform becomes the talk-about platform in Africa and beyond.
“This is a mission coming from the African Union Inter Africa Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), to help us achieve that goal at the end of the day.
” We are expecting to have a very vibrant, productive and profitable feed and fodder industry,” he said.
Earlier, the Director AU-IBAR, Dr Huyam Salih, congratulated Nigeria, for taking the important step of establishing its National Feed and Fodder Multi-Stakeholder Platform(MSP).
Salih, who was represented by the Project Lead, AU-IBAR, Dr Sarah Ossiya, said this was in line with the decisions of African Heads of State and Government.
He said that the pivotal MSP would bring together all actors who are critical to shaping a structured and more functional feed and fodder sector.
“As we reflect on setting up of the Nigeria MSP, I invite us to consider a few critical questions:
” What is the current structure of Nigeria’s feed and fodder sub-sector versus Nigeria’s livestock or animal resources sector,”he said.
Salih said that each of the participants at the meeting was selected for their role, expertise and vast experience.
“Also, the understanding of Nigeria’s feed and fodder sub-sector as well as the linkages the country has to the region,“he said.
He said that AU-IBAR would draw on the findings of the studies that were conducted to provide insights.
” However, it is the combined inputs and contributions to the different actors here today that will shape a useful, and functional MSP that will address the issues of feed and fodder in Nigeria.
” I call on all of us to provide insights and innovation in this process,” he said.
In a remark, the Director, Animal Husbandry Services, Mrs Winnie Lai-Solarin said that the Animal Feed System in Nigeria, including the development of the feed and fodder document was awaiting validation.
She said that the MSP in Nigeria was coming at this time to help with the actualisation of the directive.
Lai-Solarin said that the RAFFS project resided in AU-IBAR, so activities were drawn at the country level.
She urged the participants to play an active role throughout the project to actualise the feed and fodder objectives.
A feed and fodder business development expert, David Maina, said that the objective was to bring in the industry players to form the multi stakeholders platform.
He said this was because of the issues that had been identified as shared problems across the actors that have suffered great negative impact due to COVID-19, drought and conflict.
” The idea is to come up with the multi stakeholder platform that will continue to address the issues until we have a solution,” he said.
Maina said that to support the ministry of agriculture, four areas had been identified to address the issues to include; data, ecosystem, gender inclusion, and policy (to review and reform policies). (NAN)
National
Enugu Ministers’ Roundtable To Equip Church Leaders for Spiritual Harvest, Says KARM Leader
The Kingdom Apostolic Revival Ministries (KARM) has unveiled plans for a significant gathering dubbed the Enugu Ministers’ Roundtable, aimed at equipping church leaders and workers for what its convener describes as an “imminent harvest of souls.”
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Apostle John Enelamah, leader of KARM, in a statement released to journalists,on Tuesday.
The conference, scheduled for 11-12 April 2025 at the Jesus the Way Gospel Mission Auditorium in New Era Layout, Akwunanu, Enugu, is expected to draw ministers and church workers from across Nigeria’s South East and South South regions.
Apostle Enelamah emphasised that the event would not only address the spiritual needs of attendees but also tackle their temporal concerns, while fostering discussions on expanding the reach of the Christian faith.
“The Ministers’ Roundtable is a forum where ministers and church workers will come together to fellowship and receive the Word of God, equipping them for the great work ahead,” Enelamah said.
“God’s move and revival are sweeping across the nations, and Nigeria has a pivotal role to play in these end times.”
Enelamah highlighted Enugu’s strategic importance in the South East as a key reason for hosting the event there, noting that the conference would serve as a springboard for further outreach in the region.
He also revealed plans for a future gathering, the Mission To West Africa (MTWA) Conference, set to take place in Umuahia in February 2026.
The Enugu Ministers’ Roundtable will feature prominent Christian leaders, including Archbishop Chris Ede of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Enugu Archdiocese; Bishop Obi Onubuogu of Rock Family Church; and Apostle Chuks Alozie of the Abia Apostolic Intercessory Team.
The event will be hosted by Rev John Uga, with sessions running from 9am to 4pm on 11 April and resuming at 9am on 12 April.
In his statement, Enelamah urged ministers “thirsty and hungry for greater exploits in their ministry” to attend, promising a spiritually enriching experience that would “build up our most holy faith.”
He added that KARM intends to collaborate closely with ministers in Enugu and other parts of southern Nigeria to strengthen the church’s mission.
The Global Information Team (GIT) has urged the newly appointed management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), led by Ojulari, to honour a prior commitment to absorb 12 staff members from the now-defunct Hyson Nigeria Limited, warning that failure to do so violates international labour standards.
The appeal, spearheaded by GIT’s head of investigation, Anabel Crown, follows the dissolution of all trading joint ventures by the NNPCL board in late 2023, which saw Hyson Nigeria Limited officially wound up on 31 December of that year.
The move was part of a broader consolidation effort to bring all trading operations under a wholly owned NNPCL entity.
At the time, assurances were made that the 12 Hyson employees would face no job losses and would be seamlessly transferred to NNPC Retail Limited—a promise that has yet to materialise.
Under the tenure of former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari, who was recently removed by President Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the transition stalled, leaving the workers in limbo.
The GIT now calls on Ojulari’s administration to revisit the matter urgently, either by absorbing the staff into NNPCL or offering them substantial severance packages akin to those provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria to its relieved employees.
“This prolonged uncertainty is not just a breach of trust—it’s a violation of international labour law,” Crown told Elanza News.
“Keeping workers promised employment in suspense amounts to deceit and deception, with devastating consequences for their livelihoods and families.”
The situation has been compounded by alleged mismanagement during the transition.
Sources within GIT allege that the former managing director of Hyson Nigeria Limited deliberately withheld a crucial letter that would have facilitated the staff’s absorption into NNPC Retail Limited.
“This was an act of selfishness, with no regard for the wellbeing of these workers or their families,” Crown said, pointing to the rigorous interviews the staff underwent, with results submitted to the NNPC Retail board—then chaired by Kyari—for approval that never came.
The affected workers, described as “fathers and children” by GIT, have faced severe hardship, deprivation, and even starvation as the matter remains unresolved.
“These are people who went through a thorough recruitment process and were deemed successful, yet they’ve been left to suffer,” Crown added.
In a direct appeal, GIT has called on President Tinubu, who serves as the substantive Petroleum Minister overseeing NNPCL, to intervene. “As the father of the nation and a true democrat, we urge Mr President to wade into this matter.
These workers deserve sympathy and swift action—absorbing them without delay is not just a matter of humanity, but a defence of their rights and privileges,” the GIT statement read.
The controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of NNPCL’s operations following Kyari’s exit and Ojulari’s appointment, with stakeholders watching closely to see if the new leadership will prioritise transparency and accountability.
For now, the fate of the 12 Hyson workers hangs in the balance, their plight a stark reminder of the human cost of bureaucratic delays.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Rivers State Police Command to tender an unreserved public apology over the assault on five journalists during a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt or risk a statewide media blackout.
In a statement jointly signed by the Council Chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia, and Secretary, Dr. Ijeoma Tubosia, the NUJ condemned the actions of police officers involved, demanding their immediate identification and prosecution.
“The NUJ, as a watchdog of society, will not sit idly by while media practitioners are subjected to barbarism and brutality. Enough is enough,” the statement warned, noting that any further attack on journalists in the state would be “vehemently resisted.”
The union described the incident as “unprovoked, barbaric, and inhuman,” saying it amounted to a gross violation of the rights of the affected journalists.
Those assaulted include Charles Opurum of Channels TV, Allwell Ene of Naija FM, Soibelemari Oruwari of Nigeria Info, Ikezam Godswill of AIT, and Femi Ogunkhilede of Super FM.
The journalists were tear-gassed while covering the protest, with Opurum beaten, and detained by security operatives.
Expressing deep regret over the incident, the NUJ lamented that an institution tasked with safeguarding lives and property has turned its weapons on citizens, particularly journalists performing their lawful duties.
Despite the provocation, the union reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and partnership with the police in the interest of peace and national development.
It, however, cautioned the police not to jeopardise the existing relationship with the media.
The NUJ also urged its members to remain calm and law-abiding, expressing hope that the police authorities would take decisive steps to address the matter and ensure a more respectful working relationship with journalists in Rivers State.